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AutoCAD Architecture
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2020 Fundamentals
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Lesson 3:
Floor Plans
AutoCAD Architecture comes with 3D content that you use to create your building
model and to annotate your views. In ACA 2020, you may have difficult locating and
loading the various content, so this exercise is to help you set up ACA so you can move
forward with your design.
The Content Browser lets you store, share, and exchange AutoCAD Architecture content,
tools, and tool palettes. The Content Browser runs independently of the software,
allowing you to exchange tools and tool palettes with other Autodesk applications.
The Content Browser is a library of tool catalogs containing tools, tool palettes, and tool
packages. You can publish catalogs so that multiple users have access to standard tools
for projects.
ACA comes with several tool catalogs. When you install ACA, you enable which
catalogs you want installed with the software. By default, Imperial, Metric, and Global
are enabled. The content is located in the path: C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\ACA
2020\enu\Tool Catalogs.
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Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2020 Fundamentals
The floor plan is central to any architectural drawing. In the first exercise, we convert an
AutoCAD 2D floor plan to 3D. In the remaining exercises, we work in 3D.
A floor plan is a scaled diagram of a room or building viewed from above. The floor plan
may depict an entire building, one floor of a building, or a single room. It may also
include measurements, furniture, appliances, or anything else necessary to the purpose of
the plan.
Floor plans are useful to help design furniture layout, wiring systems, and much more.
They're also a valuable tool for real estate agents and leasing companies in helping sell or
rent out a space.
Exercise 3-1:
Going from a 2D to 3D Floor plan
Drawing Name: New
Estimated Time: 45 minutes
Create Walls
Wall Properties
Wall Styles
Style Manager
Insert an AutoCAD drawing
Trim, Fillet, Extend Walls
2. Type UNITS.
Press OK.
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Floor Plans
Select Attach.
Press OK.
Return to a top
view.
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Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2020 Fundamentals
You can also use the Explode tool on the Modify panel of the
Home ribbon.
9. Activate the Home ribbon.
11. Launch the Design Tools palette from the Home ribbon.
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Floor Plans
14. Note that the only wall styles available are Standard and
the style that was just imported.
15.
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Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2020 Fundamentals
27. You will be prompted if you want to erase any of the linework. Enter NO.
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Floor Plans
If necessary, move walls so they are aligned with the floor plan’s walls.
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Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2020 Fundamentals
Select the
Components
tab.
The total
width for this
wall style is
5 ¼”
34. Select the Stud-4 GWB-0.625-2 Layers Each Side wall style.
36. You will be prompted if you want to erase any of the line work. Enter NO.
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Floor Plans
37. Zoom into one of the walls that was placed. Note that it is
the correct width.
Check to see if you have more than one wall or if you need to trim the
walls.
The ex3-1 file can be downloaded from the publisher’s website, so you can check your
file against mine and see how you did.
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Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2020 Fundamentals
Exercise 3-2:
Importing a PDF into ACA
Drawing Name: New
Estimated Time: 10 minutes
Import PDF
Create Walls
Wall Properties
Wall Styles
Model and Work space
1. Go to the Application
Menu (the Capital Letter
A).
Select New→Drawing.
Press Open.
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Floor Plans
Press Open.
Press OK.
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Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2020 Fundamentals
7.
Notice if you hover your mouse over any of the
elements imported, they have been converted to
ACA elements.
11.
Use the FILLET, TRIM, and EXTEND tools to
place the interior walls.
You can compare your drawing with mine and see how you did.
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Floor Plans
Exercise 3-3:
Creating Walls
Drawing Name: New
Estimated Time: 10 minutes
Create Walls
Wall Properties
Wall Styles
Model and Work space
1. Go to the Application
Menu (the Capital Letter
A).
Select New→Drawing.
Press Open.
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Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2020 Fundamentals
12. Select the Work tab now visible in the lower left
corner of the screen.
13. The work tab opens up a layout with
two viewports. One viewport is 3D
and the other viewport is a top view.
You see that the walls you placed are
really 3-dimensional.
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Floor Plans
If you draw a wall and the materials composing the wall are on the wrong side,
you can reverse the direction of the wall. Simply select the wall, right click and
select the Reverse option from the menu.
To add a wall style to a drawing, you can import it or simply create the wall
using the Design Tools.
Many architects use external drawing references to organize their projects.
That way, teams of architects can concentrate just on their portions of a
building. External references also use fewer system resources.
You can convert lines, arcs, circles, or polylines to walls. If you have created a
floor plan in AutoCAD and want to convert it to 3D, open the floor plan
drawing inside of AutoCAD Architecture. Use the Convert to Walls tool to
transform your floor plan into walls.
To create a freestanding door, press the ENTER key when prompted to pick a
wall. You can then use the grips on the door entity to move and place the door
wherever you like.
To move a door along a wall, use Door→Reposition→Along Wall. Use the
OSNAP From option to locate a door a specific distance from an adjoining
wall.
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Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2020 Fundamentals
Exercise 3-4:
Creating a Floor Plan Using an Image
Drawing Name: new.dwg
Estimated Time: 60 minutes
Insert Image
Add Wall
1. Go to the Application
Menu (the Capital Letter
A).
Select New→Drawing.
Press Open.
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Floor Plans
6. Uncheck the
insertion point to
insert the image
at 0, 0, 0.
Set the Scale to
113.00.
Set the Angle to
0.0.
Press OK.
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Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2020 Fundamentals
Flip the wall orientation so the wall exterior is on the outside of the building.
Check the offset distance to ensure the two walls are 15′ apart from inside finish face
to inside finish face.
12. Trace a horizontal wall using the Stud-4 Rigid 1.5 Air-1 Brick-4 wall style.
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Floor Plans
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Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2020 Fundamentals
21. Locate the Stud-4 GWB-0.625 Each Side wall style on the
palette.
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Floor Plans
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Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2020 Fundamentals
27. Select the Stud-4 Rigid 1.5 Air-1 Brick-4 wall tool from the
Design Tools palette.
28. On the Properties palette, set the Justify
option to Center.
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Floor Plans
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Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2020 Fundamentals
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Floor Plans
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Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2020 Fundamentals
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Floor Plans
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Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2020 Fundamentals
42. Zoom into the area near the utility room and notice
some of the walls may need to be cleaned up as well.
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Floor Plans
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Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2020 Fundamentals
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Floor Plans
Exercise 3-5:
Adding Doors
Drawing Name: Ex3-4.dwg
Estimated Time: 45 minutes
Adding Doors
Door Properties
1. Open ex3-4.dwg.
2. Thaw the image layer so you can see where doors are located
if you froze that layer or adjust the image so you can see the
door locations.
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Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2020 Fundamentals
If you left click in the Standard sizes field, a down arrow will appear…select the
down arrow and you will get a list of standard sizes. Then, select the size you want.
A 25% opening will show a door swing at a 45-degree angle.
The value of the Opening percentage determines the angle of the arc swing.
A 50% value indicates the door will appear half-open at a 90-degree angle.
6. Expand the Location section.
Set Position along wall to Offset/Center.
This will allow the user to snap to the center
position along the wall.
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Floor Plans
In both cases, you want to select the outside face of the wall.
Center the closet door on each wall.
8. Place the Bifold - Double door at each
of the closets located in Bedroom #2
and Bedroom #3.
10. Locate the Bifold - Single door on the Doors tab of the Design
Tools palette.
11. In the Properties palette:
Set the door to use the Standard Size
2′ 4″ x 6′ 8″.
Set the Opening percent to 50.
Press OK to close the Properties palette.
Place the door in the Linen Closet near the
lavatories.
12. Locate the Hinged - Single - Exterior door on the Doors tab
of the Design Tools palette.
13. In the Properties palette,
set the door to use the size
3′ 0″ x 6′ 8″.
14. Select the side of the wall that will be used for the
door swing and place the entry door.
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Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2020 Fundamentals
15. Locate the Hinged - Single door on the Doors tab of the Design
Tools palette.
16. In the Properties palette,
set the door to use the size
2′ 6″ x 6′ 8″.
Set the Swing angle to 30.
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Floor Plans
23. Locate the Hinged - Single - Exterior door on the Doors tab
of the Design Tools palette.
24. In the Properties palette,
set the door to use the Standard Size
2′ 6″ x 6′ 8″.
Set the Swing angle to 30.
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Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2020 Fundamentals
27. Locate the Overhead - Sectional door on the Doors tab of the
Design Tools palette.
28. In the Properties palette,
set the door to use the Size
16′ 0″ x 6′ 8″.
Set the Opening percent to 0.
30. Locate the Sliding - Double - Full Lite door on the Doors tab
of the Design Tools palette.
31. In the Properties palette,
set the door to use the Standard Size
5′ 0″ x 6′ 8″.
Set the Opening percent to 0.
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Floor Plans
36. Locate the Pocket - Single door on the Doors tab of the Design
Tools palette.
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Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2020 Fundamentals
38. Place the door in the lower right corner of the Master
Bedroom.
Switch to an isometric view and you will see that your model is 3D.
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Floor Plans
Look at the model using different visual styles. Which style do you like best?
The model shown uses a Hidden visual style with a white background.
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Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2020 Fundamentals
Exercise 3-6:
Create an Arched Opening Tool
Drawing Name: ex3-5.dwg
Estimated Time: 10 minutes
Copying Tools
Tool Properties
1. Open ex3-5.dwg.
2. Locate the Cased Opening tool on the Doors palette.
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Floor Plans
Press OK.
9. Save as ex3-6.dwg.
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Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2020 Fundamentals
Exercise 3-7:
Adding an Opening
Drawing Name: ex3-6.dwg
Estimated Time: 15 minutes
Adding Openings
Opening Properties
Copying Tools
Set Image from Selection
Openings can be any size and elevation. They can be applied to a wall or be
freestanding. The Add Opening Properties allow the user to either select a Pre-defined
shape for the opening or use a custom shape.
1. Open ex3-6.dwg.
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Floor Plans
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Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2020 Fundamentals
When materials, textures, and shadows are enabled, more memory resources are
used.
12. Locate the Arched Opening placed in
the Master Bedroom.
A dialog box allows you to choose which object to use for the image selection.
If you have Selection Cycling enabled, you will see a selection dialog
box.
Select Opening.
Press Enter.
You can select more than one object for your image selection.
The tool icon updates with the new image.
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Floor Plans
15.
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Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2020 Fundamentals
Exercise 3-8
Add Window Assemblies
Drawing Name: ex3-7.dwg
Estimated Time: 30 minutes
Add Windows
1. Open ex3-7.dwg.
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Floor Plans
4.
Thaw the image layer, so you can see the location of
the windows.
8.
Expand the Location section.
Set the Position to Offset/Center.
Set the Automatic Offset to 6″.
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Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture 2020 Fundamentals
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Floor Plans
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